Garage



I N VEN TOR.

||. HARNlscHFl-:GER

GARAGE Filed Dec. 31,1927l 5 sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 21', 1936.

ATTORNEY."

H. HARNISCHFEGE Jap. 21, 1936.

GARAGE Filed pecl 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEYS H. HARN'ISCHFEGER2,028,391l vy Gimmel Filed Dec. .'51, 1927 Y5 sheets-sheet 1.v

y Jan. 21, 1936.

STD

Jan. 21, 1936.; jH', HARNISCHFEGER' GARAGE Filed Dec. s1, 1927 5Sheets-Sheet 5 .RUN

INVENTOR. fle/ver Aken/:enfuir @u Mb A TTURNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2l, 19.36

"UNITED, STATES.

PATENT OFFICE GARAGE Henry Harnischfeger, Milwaukee, ,Wis., assignerl yto Harnischfeger Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis.,

a corporation of Wisconsin i Y I Application December 31, 1927, vSerialNo. 243,812

6 Claims.

vide an apparatus of this character which is.

especially designed and adapted for use -in buildings of relativelygreat height and which in such buildings effects the expeditioushandling of the vehicles with aminimum of mechanical equipment therebyreducing the original cost of the apparatus and also reducing thecostofmaintaining and operating the same. l

Another object of the present-invention is to provide an apparatus ofthis character which mechanically handles and s tores the vehicles withpromptness and despatch, without possibility of confusion or liabilityof ldamage to the vehicle or to the apparatus and in such manner as toeconomically and completely utilize the oor space of the building tobest advantage.

In carrying out the presentinvention, a garage sbuilding is providedhaving a plurality of floors with storage compartments on the severalfloors, the storage compartments being vertically alined and located onthe opposite sides of an elevator well in the building, the'arrangementconsisting essentially of ltiers of storage compartmentsflankinganelevator well. A plurality or a row,

of tiers are arranged on each side of the elevator well, the elevatorwell being elongated and extending substantially for the full length ofthe building or at least for the full length of the rows of tiers ofstorage compartments. A number of elevators are provided in the well andeach elevator has a plurality, usually three, transfer carriages ordolliesor other suitable transferring devices thereon. The elevators andalso the storage compartments may have run-ways for receiving the wheelsof the vehicles handled. Each storage compartment may be designed toreceive one, two, cr more vehicles in encl to end relation. The transfercarriage shown is motor driven and runs on rails on the elevator and onrails in the storage compartments. jack or hoist associated therewithwhich may be raised to engage under one end of an automobile, usuallyunder the front axle, to raise such end of the automobile and to propelit on its other end. With this construction the automobiles are run intoa receiving station on the ground floor of the building, the transfercarriage moves out under the automobile and has its jack engaged withthe l same and then the transfer carriage runs 'back Each transfercarriage has a (Cl. B14- 161) onto the elevator and carries theautomobile with it. Three automobiles may be loaded on each elevator inthismanner. The elevator then rises Y to the floor or level of thestorage compartments into which the automobiles are to be placed and thetransfer carriages are then run off of the elevator and into theIstorage compartments, the jacks of the transfer carriage are thenlowered to deposit the automobiles in the storage compartments whereuponthe transfer carriages are run back onto the elevator. In delivering anyautomobile the operation is reversed, that is, the transfer carriagesare run off of the elevator, and vinto the storage compartments underthe automobile to be delivered, have their jacks engaged with A ,theautomobilesl and then are run back onto the elevator pulling orpropelling the automobiles with them. Atthe ground level the transfercarriages carry thel automobiles olf of the elevator,- have their jackslowered and are then run back onto the elevator.

'I'he transfer-carriages are motor driven and novel controls areprovided therefor which prevent the transfer carriages from being movedoff of the elevator unless the elevator is alined with a floor or levelof storage compartments. For this purpose a contacter is incorporated inthe circuit for the motor driving each carriage and in series with thecoils of. all of the contactors is a switch mounted on the elevator,biased to open position and closed by cams at the oor levels -in theele; vator well. In others words, the switchis closed andthe contactorcoils may be engaged only when the elevator is alined with a iioor orstorage compartment. t

Limit switches are incorporated in the motor circuits of the transfercarriages for automatically shutting off the motors driving thecarriages when the transfer carriage is returned to proper position onthe elevated platform. Push button 'switches are provided for shortcircuiting the limit switches when the carriages are to be run 0E of theplatform.

Another safety feature is incorporated in the controls which consists inpreventing movement of the elevator yunless the transfer carriages areproperly centered thereon. This is accomplished by incorporating acontactor in the elevator control circuit and placing in series with thecoil of the contactor limit switches' biased to open position and closedonly when the transfer carriages are in proper'position on the elevatedplatform.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features oftheconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinaportion of the garage building embodying the.

present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View thereof taken in transverse section online 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure El` is a similar viewin longitudinal sec-` tion taken on line 3 3of Figure 1;

` Figure fi is a portion of a diagramof the circuits involved in thecontrol of the three transfer carriages of each elevator; and

Figure 4b is the other portion of the diagram. Referring to thedrawings, the numeral designates a garage building of any suitableconstruction and having any suitable number of floors or levels. Eachfloor of the building has rows of storage compartments 2 on the oppositesides of an elongated elevator well 3. The storage compartments o f oneoor are alined vertically with the storage -compartments of the oorsabove and below so that the arrangement presents horizontal rows ofvertical tiers of storage compartments flanking the elongated elevatorwell. In other words, a plurality of tiers of storage compartments areprovided -on each side of the elevator well and are arranged parallelthereto. A plurality of elevators designated generally at 4 are arrangedin the elevator well and travelfrom the ground level to the highestfloor or story of the building, so that any elevator may be alined withthe storage compartments opposite the same on any floor or level.

On each elevator a number, usually three, transfer carriages or dolliesor other transferring devices, designated generally at 5, are provided.As shown, each transfer carriage 5 includes a suitable frame' 6 mountedon wheels 1, at least certain of the wheels 1 being driven by suitablegearing from an electric motor 41. The wheels 1 of each transfercarriage run on rails 9, provided riage and israised and lowered underthe control of an electric motor 63. When the jack is lowered thecarriage vmay be run under an auto-'- mobile to position the jack underthe front axle provided in the storage compartments. Of course,

in lieu of engaging the jack with the front axle it may be engaged`withthe rear axle or with any `other appropriate part of the automobile.`But in any event, the jack serves to lift one end of the automobile andto enable the carriage to propel the automobile on the wheels at itsother end.

The transfer carriage 5, its jack and the control for the electric motor63 of the jack are identical with the transfer carriage and jack shownand fully described and claimed in the copending'application of ArthurG. Henricks for Apparatus for handling and storing. filed August 22,1927, Serial No. 214,617, to which reference is made for a detaildisclosure of the` construction,roperation and control 'of the transfercarriage and jack.

The armature of each electric motor 63, under normal conditions,.turnsin the same direction to effect alternate raising and lowering of thejack 'Figures 4 and 4b.

sitioned on the elevator.

| I. This motion of the armature of the motor 63 is initiated under themanual control of the operator, but the armature shaft is stoppedautomatically at the end of a raising or lowering movement. In order toprovide for this operation of the Jack the motor circuit of the electricmotor 63 of each transfer carriage has a contactor designated generallyat 10. a controller designated generally at 12 organized therewith, asshown in As these parts are identical with an organized and operated inexactly the same manner as the corresponding parts in-the co-pendingapplication of Arthur G. Henricks, Serial No. 214,617, they will not befurther described here.

The control of'the carriage motors 41 is also identical with that shownin said co-pending application except that there are as many controlsystemsnas there are motors 41 and that the circuits including the coils|92 of the contactors v generally atv 1|, and a limit switch designated|66 controlling the motor'circuits have a com-iv mon path or portionextending through an elevator alinement controlled switch |00 connectedin series relation with the coils |92vofv the contactors -as hereinaftermore fully described. Thevfrom being energized at any time exceptlwhenthe elevator is leveled with the floor, at which time one of a number of'cams I0| in the elevator well closes the switch |00. .Moreoven thecontrol circuits for the carriage motors 41 are interlocked with theelevator control circuit so that the elevator may not be moved up ordown unless all the transfer carriages on the elevator are properlypositioned thereon. This interlock is eiected by incorporating acontacter ||0 in the elevator control circuit and placing the coil ofthe contactor in series with carriage controlled limit switches |20.There is one such limit switch |20 for each carriage and the switchesare biased to ope'n position but are closed by cams |2|, on Y theelevator when the carriages are properly po- When the elevator is alinedwith the storage compartments at any floor` level lthe carriage or dollymay be run off of the elevator and into lthe storage compartment todeposit the ca'r `there- As in the co-pending application referred toabove, the motor circuit for each carriage motor has a controllerdesignated generally at |65, a

contactor designated' generally ,at |66, a limit switch designatedgenerally at |61, and means for short-circuiting the limit switches whendesirable and consisting of push button switches 2|6 controlling' a.shunt path around the limit switches |61; While individual limitswitches |61 are provided for each carriage motor 41, there is but oneelevator alinement controlled switch |00 which is connectedin serieswith the coilsof all three contactors, this switch |00 including a fixedcontact |02 and a movable contact |03, the m'ovable contact |03 beingbiased to open posi'- tion out of engagement with the contact |02 bymeans ofa'spring |04 or other equivalent means but having a roller |05adapted to engage the cam |0| at each'oor level in the elevator well sothat the contacts |02 andl I 03 will be engaged and the switchclosedwhen the elevator is alined with any floor. The contact |02connects by a wire 4| to the positive side of the power line while' thecontact |03 'connects by a wire |42 and branches |43 with one end ofeach of the coils 02. In prac-,-

with a contact 208 of an overload relay designated i at 2|0. A bridgingcontact member 2|| is incorporated in this relay and engages the contact208 and also a contact 2|2, A wire 2 I3 leads from the contact 2|2 tovthe contact 203 of the limit switch |61. The other contact 202 of thelimit switch |61 connects by a wire 2|5 with the com- I trollerv has aset of contacts designated generally at |10, |1|, |12, |13, |14, |15,|16, |11, |18, |18a and |19, and two sets of segments cooper-able withthe contacts, one set of segments being designated generally at |80, |8|82, |83, |84, |85, |86, |81, |88, and |88,and the other set of segmentsbeingdesignated at |80', |8|', |82', |83", |84', |85', |86', |81', |88'and |88. The con.

troller resistance is designated at |80 'and a resistance of theconventional armature shunt at Each contactor |66 (as in the otherapplication referred to) is of conventional construction and has a'contactor coil |82 and an arm |83 influ- Each limit,switch |61 (as inthe other application referred to) comprises a lever |96 fulcrumed asat|81 on the carriage and having a roller'l88` at one end of the leverengageable with a cam |98 mounted at a suitable point on the elevatorplatform.` A spring is associated with this lever |96 and tends to causea contact 202 carried by the lever to engage a contact 203 mounted onthe carriage. Whenthe rollers |88 engage their cooperable cams |88, thelevers |96 are rocked to disengage the contacts 202 and 203.

Each positive pole 204 of the three knife switches 205 connecting withthe power lines or source of current has a wire 206 connected therewithand leading to the contact |94 of the contactor. The arm |93 ofeachcontactor |66 connects by a wire 222 with one end of the coil 223 ofthe overload relay. From the opposite end of the coil 223 a wire 224leads to the contact |1| of the associated controller |65. l

The size of the diagram necessitated the placing of the 'same on twosheets and on reading the diagram it is suggested that Figure 4a beplaced above Figure 4b with the cables-C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C8valined. It is also to be understood in considering the description ofthe circuits that the cables C1, C3 and C5 contain portions of the wires2 I3 and that the cables C2, C4 'and C6 contain por- 'I'ov tions of thewires |28, 225, 230 and 23|. facilitate reading of the diagram, thenumerals |28,- 2|3, 225, 230 and 23| have been applied not only todiiferent portions of the wires but to the and associated parts.

Figure 4* `shows the limit switches V|61 in the position which theyassume when the carriages are traveling or moving on `the elevatorplatform or in a storage compartment. As explained, when the carriagesmove to their proper position on the elevator the cams coact with therollers |88 of the levers to rock the levers |86 and disengage thecontacts 202 and 203. Thus, in order to cause any carriage to'move fromits proper position on the elevator platform it is necessary to shortcircuit the limit switch |61 associated therewith in order to energizethe contacter coil |92 of the carriage motor circuit and it is for thispinpose that the push button switches designated generally at 2|6 (seeFigure 4b) are provided. Each switch 2|6 comprises a push buttonv2|1 forbridging contacts 2|8 and 2|8 which connect by wires 220 and 22| tothewires 2|3 and |29 respectively.

With the arrangement shown, however, when it is desired to 'startmovement Vof any of the carriages the push button `2|1, associated withsuch carriage circuit, lis depressed whereupon current ows from thepositive pole 204', through the wire |4| to the elevator alinementswitch |00. If this switch is closed, as it Will be if the elevator isalined with a storage compartment, the current passes from the wire |4|through the contacts |02 and |03 to the wire |42, and i i from the wire|42 it ilows through the appropriate branch |43 to the coil |82 of theproper contactor |66. After passing through the coil |82 the currentflows through the wire 208, contacts 208, 2|| and 2|2, Wire 2|3, wire220, 'contacts 2|1, 2|8 and 2|9 of the push button switch 2 I6 and wire22| back to the common return Wire |28, from whence it ows back to thenegative pole 204a ofthe knife switch 205 associated with the circuit ofthe particular motor to be operated.

Whenever the contactor coil |82 of any contactor is energized in thismanner then the arm |83 of the contactor is drawn over into engagementwith the contact |84 thereof and motor circuit proper is completed inthe following manner.

l The current flows from the positive pole 204 of any knife switch 205,'through the associated wires 206, contact |84, arm |93, wire 222,overload relay coil 223, wire 224, to the contact |1| o f the controller|65.` The controller is turned in the direction which vcauses thesegments |80 to |88 to engage the contacts |10 to |18 so that thecurrent passes from the contact |1| over to the segment |8| and thencethrough wires |10' and |1l' to the segments |80 and |82; As thesesegments |80 and |82 engage the contacts 10 and |12 part of the currentpasses from the contact |10 through the conventional armature shunt |9|in the usual manner and part of the current passes from the segment |82over to the contact=|12 and -through the wire 225 to thev brush 226 ofthe armature 221 of the motor 41. From the other brush 228 of thearmature the current flows back through a wire 230 to the contact |13 ofthe controller, over to the segment |83, down through the wire |83l ofthe segment |84 and thence through the controller resistance |80 andwire |80a to the contact |18. From the contact 18 the current passes` tothe segment |88, through the wire |88*l to the segment |88, over to thecontact|18 and through a wire 23| leading from the contact |18 to theieldA 232 of the motor 41. After the current passes through the eld itpasses on to the leased, for at that time, the. path of the curcoil 233of a conventional electromagnetic brake associated with the motor 41 inthe usual mano ner and then travels through a wire 234 back to thecommon return wire |29, which. leads back -to the negative pole 204' ofthe switch 205.

As' soon as the carriage begins to move the rollers |98 of the limitswitch is ldisengaged from its cam thereby permitting' the spring 20|toV engage the contacts 202 and 203. As soon as this occurs thepush-button 2|1 maybe rerent' through the contactor coil |32 may becompleted from the wire 2|3 through the contacts 203 and 202 and wire2|5 fback to the common return wire |29. Thefuse of a push button switchin this organization not only permits the employment of a simple yeteffective means for limiting the movements of the carriage but italsomakes it necessary for the operator to'exercise a deliberate andconscious :control of the movements of the carriage, as

more fully pointed outin the co-pending application referred to.

In the other On position of the-controller |65 the segments |80' to |09'coact with the contacts |10 to |19 in order to reverse the flow ofcurrent through the amature. In such pol sition of the controller thecurrent .flows to the contactsV |1| of the controller as before but',passes over to the segment |0|' where it divides,

part of the current passing over to the contact I 80' and through thearmatureshunt, and part of the current passing through a wire |02l downto the segment |32 and-thence over to the contact |13 through the wire230 to the brush 226. After traversing the armaturethe current owsthrough brush 220 and wire 225 back to the ment |34' from whence itpasses to the contact |15 and through the controller resistance |90 tothe contact' |18. The current then passes over to the segment |00' anddown to the segment |89' through a wire |89. From the segment |39' thelcurrent passes over to the contact |19 and thence through the wire 23|,through the field 232 and brake coil 233 to the-wire 234 and then onback'through the return wire |23.

It is to be understood that the motor circuitfor the motor 41 'cannot becompleted exceptv when the contacter coil |92 is energized. The lcontactor coil |92 cannot be energized unless the contacts |02 and |03are engaged. It is therefore a prerequisite to operation of the carriagethat the elevator platform be alined with a storage compartment 'as thecontacts |02 and |03 are not engaged unless the platform is so alined. y

The elevator control circuit is illustrated diagraaumtticmly in Figure4b at son and in this elevator control circuit the contacter 0 isincorporated'as'above mentioned. As shown, the ar'm 30| of the contactoris connected with one of the wires 302 of the control circuit andV isadapted to engage a contact 303 connected with the other 'wire 304 ofthe control circuit. The contactor coil is designated at 305. A springor any other suitable means may be provided vfor biasing the arm -toopen position where it is disengaged from the contact 303. Referring nowto Figures 4b and 4, one end of the contacto): coil 305 connects with awire 300 which is electrically connected with the xed contact $01 of onelimit switch |20. A of this limit switch connects by a wire 309 with thefixed contact'301 of the limit switch |20 of the adjacent. carriage.Similarly, the movable contact 303 of this second limit switch |20connects by a wire 3|0 with a fixed contact 301 of a third limit switch|20 mounted on the third carriage. The contact 303 of the third limitswitch connects by a wire 3|| with the other negative pole of the switch205. terminal of the coil 305 is connected by a wire 3|2. with thepositive terminal 204 of th switch zw. Y i f In other words, the limitswitches |20 are connected in series with the coil 305 of the contacter0 so that unless all of the limit switches are closed the'contactor coil305 may not be energized. However, when the carriages are properly posigtioned on the elevator all of the limit switches |20 are closed and thecontacter coil is energized The movable contact 308 Y The other ytration onlyand various changes, additions, and

omissions are contemplated within the spirit of the invention and-thescope of the subjoined claims.

. As disclosed in the Hendricks application for Apparatus for handlingand'storing referred to above, the controllers for the motors whichdrive the transfer carriages and for the motors which -operate the jacksof such carriages are grouped on the carriages are embodied 'in cableswhich are automatically wound up and paid out by reels on the transfercarriages, such reels being diagrammatically shown in Figure 4V andbeing fully shown and described in the said Hendricks application.

The apparatus embodying the present invention has an 'especial advantagewhen embodied in tall-buildings, that is, buildings with a great manystories, for with such buildings it requires only the elevators and thetransfer carriages to effect the mechanical handling of the automobilesfrom the receiving stations tothe storage compartments and back from thestorage compartments to the receivingstations. In operation, theautomobiles are run into a, suitable receiving station provided on theground floor of the building near .the elevators. The transfer carriagesmove out from the elevators under the vautomobiles and have their jacksengaged with the automobiles; They then run back onto the elevatorscarrying the automobiles with them. The elevators are run up to'thelevel of the storage compartments in which the automobiles are to beplaced and the automobiles are then run into the storage compartmentsunder the control of the transfer cardevice', cooperating .means on thetransfer car rlage. The jacks on the transfer carriages are then loweredand the transfer carriages are .run back onto the elevators.

Delivery of any car simply means a reversal of this process, O f course,Where more thanone automobile is stored in any compartment it may benecessary to're'move the automobile adjacent storage compartment or notproperly -positioned on' the elevator; and alsomakes it impossible forthe carriages tobe moved oi of the elevator unless the elevator is.properly alined` with a storage compartment.v

While transfer carriages have been .shown and described as representingone'means for effecting the transfer of the automobiles to. and from theelevator and storage compartments, itis to be understood that anysuitable transferring device .l may be employed which is movable acrossthe elevator and into storage compartments and which is adapted to berun under an automobile and to be engaged therewith to propel4theautomobile. f l f' The invention Aclaimed is:

1. A garage building having :tiers of storage compartments and anlelevator Well adjacent the storage compartments, an elevator in thewell, a transferdeviee mounted on the elevator and movable off of `theelevator into the storage vcompartments .and back from the storagecompartments onto the elevatorfor transferring cars'directly from theelevator' to the storage compartments and from the storage compartmentsto the elevator, a motor for driving the transfer device ,andcooperating means on the transfer carriage and elevator for preventingoperation of the elev ator at all times except when the transfer carlriage is properly positioned thereon.

2. A garage building having tiers of.` storage compartments and anelevator well adjacent the storagecompartments, an` elevator in thewell,.

a transfer device mounted on the elevator and/ movable off of theelevator into the storage compartments and back from the storagecompartments onto the elevator for transferring cars directly from theelevator tothe storage compartments andfrom the storage compartments tothe elevator, a motor for driving the transfer ri'age and elevator forpreventing operation of the l motor except when the elevator is levelledwith operation of theelevator at all times except when the transferdevice is properly positioned thereon..

3. A garage having storage compartments, an

elevator adjacent said compartments, an elevator control circuit, atransfer device mounted on the elevator and movable out into thestoragecompartments, and` back onto the e1evator,'an

electric motor for driving said carriage'a circuit alstoragec0mpartment,'and meansI for preventing *Y for the electric motor, meansfoi-'preventing completion of the motor circuit except when thc elevatoris levelled with a storage compartment,and'

cooperating means .on thetransfer carriagel and A elevator forpreventing'completion of theelevator i'. control circuit except' whenthe device is properly positioned on the elevator. 4. A'garageha'vingstorage compartments, an

elevator well, an elevator in the we1l, a tra nsfer device mounted on4the elevator and. movable into the lstorage compartments and back-onto' the elevator an lelectric motor for driving said device,

acircuit for the motor, a 'contactor incorporated' `insaidmotoncir'cuit, a switchmountedlonfthe elevatorand biased to openVposition and connectedfin-series with the contactor and anum -ber of cams in the elevator well for closing' s'aid no switch-When `the elevatoris alined with any storage compartment;

A5.A garaf,fe having storage compartments, an. a

elevatogs'erv-ing said compartments, arr elevator control cir theelevator and movable outinto the compart- 't,- a transfer carriagemounted 'en ments and'b'ack lonto the elevator, a contactor incorporatedinthe elevator co-ntrol circuit`and adapted when energized tocomplete'th'e elevator control circuitjand when de-energ'ized to breakthe same, a normally open switch mounted on .the carriage and in serieswith the contactor, and

a cam mounted on the elevator and cooperable with .said switch forclosing the same whenl tre y carriagev is properly positioned ontherelevatorf.

6. In avehicle storage system, a plurality ofvehicle storage stalls,`rising tier on tier, an ele.-

vator having aplatform travelling between the tiers and a plurality of'vehicle carriers, each having `a pair of spaced apart vehicle wheelguid- I ing tracks, permanently fixed to said elevator platform each ofsaid carriers comprising mechanism for moving a vehicle in eitherdirection over their respective spaced apart vehicle Wheel guidingtracks. I

' HENRY HARNISCHFEGER.

